Car-coupling



(No Model.)

' s. Uj BRANSTBTTBR.

GAR COUPLING UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

SIMON URIEL BRANSTETTER, OF VANDALIA, MISSOURI.

ClR-COUPLING.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,622, dated September 22, 1885.

Application filed August 3, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON U. BRANsTET- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vandalia, in the county of Audrain and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a side elevation of my invention, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the draw-heads with the upper side thereof partly broken away, and Fig. 3 a detail plan view of the device connected to the top of the car for holding the operating-rod.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective car-coupling that can be readily and conveniently operated in uncoupling the cars and automatically couple them together, and is capable of not only coupling cars of equal height, but of different heights when such cars are in use.

The invention therefore consists in the several details of construction, substantially as shown in the drawings and hereinafter described 'and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A B represent the two opposing draw-heads cast upon their interior sides with bevel-guides, a, for the end of the coupling-link C when entering the draw-head. The draw-head is cast with. openings b c, respectively, at the top and bottom thereof, and at an angle to each other so as to form space for the extremities of the weighted coupling-pin D to project when said pin is in its coupled position, as shown in Fig. l. The pin D is of peculiar construction, being cast with a wide iiat body, d, from which laterally project the journals e, each formed with circumferential shoulders f, to forni stops to the interior sides of the drawhead. The shank ofthe pin -D upon its inner side is east or otherwise provided with a weight, g, having its outer surface convex, to present as little bearing-surface to the end of the link as possible when the pin is down in its coupling position. As will be understood, the weight extends down to the end of the shank of the pin, so that the end of the link will bear against and strain come directly on the weight. The weight g also acts as a stop for the pin D, which strikes against the upper side of the draw-head when the pin is raised. rIhe body d of the coupling-pin being on a line with the journals thereof, strengthens the pin where most required, and renders it more certain in its operation, the shoulders f preventing any lateral play of the pin when the cars are in motion. Upon the side walls of the draw-heads, immediately on line with the openings b, are cast dovetail recesses h, to receive dovetail journal-boxes E, held in place by suitable keys, i. The recesses 7L have bearings c for the journals e, and the boxes E have bearing-extensions l to fit over the journals, thus forming a convenient and effective means for holding the journals of the coupling-pin to the sides of the draw-head without danger of the journal-boxes becoming loose, the dovetail securely holding them at all times in position. Connected to the side of the draw-head is the operating-rod F, the lower end thereof bent t0 form a crank, in, having on its extremity a ball, n, which bears against the body of the coupling-pin D. The crank end of this rod F is passed through an open slot, o, which is formed Haring, as shown in Fig. 3, thus allowing the crank end of th'e rod to have the necessary lateral play when desired to raise the pin I) by bringing the ball n against the pin with sufficient pressure. The upper end of the rod F is of the required length to extend to the roof of the car, and passes through au elongated slot, G, formed in an overhanging bracket, H, secured to the roof of the car. The extremity of therod F above the bracket H terminates in a handle, p, for operating it, and a portion of its length is formed square or with flat sides, so as to engage with the correspondingly-formed extension 1 to the slot G,the flat portion of the rod being shown at q. Vhen the rod F is not required for use, it is brought back to engage with the slot-extension r, and is held engaged therewith by the spring I, the flat-sided portion of the rod when in the slot-extension preventing it from turning. When it is desired to raise the coupling-pin to uncouple the cars, the rod F is brought forward, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. l., to a IOO position where it will be in the enlarged end s of the slot G, whenv the rod can be conveniently turned and the cars uncoupled, as hereinbefore described. The slot G with its enlargement s and extension r form together what I term a lock-slot,77 to lock the rod in v an inoperative position, or allow it to be free to act on the coupling-pin. v

In coupling cars of dierent heights it should be understood that a dii'erent forni of link is used, one in which its ends are on different horizontal planes, this forni' of link being common for the purpose.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The eombination,\vith a draw-head having bevel guides upon its interior sides, of a coupling-pin formed with journals having circumferential shoulders, said journals having` their bearings in the sides of the draw-head, and held therein by dovetail journal-boxes fitting in correspondingly formed recesses and held in place by suitable keys, substan tially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the draw-heads thereof provided with dovetail journal-boxes secured by keys in correspondingly-formed recesses in the sides of the draw-heads, in combination with a coupling-pin formed with a flat Wide body, journals extending therefrom having circumferential sh oulders,and a weight upon the shank of the pin having its outer surface beveled, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a car-coupling, a draw-head provided with a pivoted and weighted coupling-pin, in combination with an operating-rodbent to form a crank at its lower end and adapted to bear against the pin, and a bracket secured to the roof of the car and formed with alockslot, and a spring to hold the rod in operative or inoperative position, said rod having a portion of its length formed with iiat` sides, sub stantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. v

SIMON URIEL BRANSTETTER.

Witnesses:

C. G. DANIEL, J. F. CooNTZ. 

